Motor Vehicle Comprising a Floor Subassembly and a Storage Cell Subassembly

Abstract

A motor vehicle includes a floor subassembly and a storage cell subassembly. The floor subassembly is an integral part of a body of the motor vehicle. In other words, the floor subassembly is part of the body shell. The storage cells of the storage cell subassembly are disposed in the floor subassembly. The storage cells are accommodated in hollow-cylinder chambers of a multi-chamber hollow cylinder structure extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle.

Claims

1.-10. (canceled)

11. A motor vehicle, comprising: a floor assembly; and a storage cell assembly, wherein the floor assembly is an integral constituent part of a body of the motor vehicle, storage cells of the storage cell assembly are arranged within the floor assembly, and the storage cells are arranged in hollow-cylindrical chambers of a multiple-chamber hollow-cylindrical structure which extends in a vehicle vertical direction.

12. The motor vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the hollow-cylindrical chambers have a polygonal cross section.

13. The motor vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the polygonal cross section is one of: a triangular, square, or a hexagonal cross section.

14. The motor vehicle according to claim 11, wherein one storage cell, two storage cells, three storage cells, four storage cells, five storage cells, six storage cells, seven storage cells, eight storage cells or nine storage cells are accommodated in one hollow-cylindrical chamber.

15. The motor vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the multiple-chamber hollow-cylindrical structure is made of aluminum or plastic.

16. The motor vehicle according to claim 15, wherein the multiple-chamber hollow-cylindrical structure is an extruded aluminum structure or a fiber-reinforced plastic structure.

17. The motor vehicle according to claim 11, further comprising: a lower floor; and an upper floor, wherein each of the lower floor and the upper floor either are an integral constituent part of the floor assembly or at least are connected to the floor assembly, and the storage cell assembly is arranged between the lower floor and the upper floor.

18. The motor vehicle according to claim 17, wherein a lower end side of the multiple-chamber hollow-cylindrical structure is connected to the lower floor, or an upper end side of the multiple-chamber hollow-cylindrical structure is connected to the upper floor.

19. The motor vehicle according to claim 18, wherein the connection is an integrally joined connection.

20. The motor vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the lower floor or the upper floor is fastened releasably, the other floor of the lower floor and the upper floor being configured so as to be fixed to the vehicle body.

21. The motor vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the lower floor and the upper floor are fastened to one another, and the lower floor and the upper floor are connected to one another via at least one spacer element and at least one screw connection.

22. The motor vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the multiple-chamber hollow-cylindrical structure is arranged at least between two vehicle body longitudinal carriers, the vehicle body longitudinal carriers being a constituent part of the floor assembly.

23. The motor vehicle according to claim 22, wherein the multiple-chamber hollow-cylindrical structure is additionally arranged at least between two vehicle body crossmembers.

24. The motor vehicle according to claim 22, wherein the two vehicle body longitudinal carriers are side sills.

25. The motor vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the floor assembly forms a fluid-tight enclosure of the storage cell assembly.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic sectional view through a floor assembly of a body of a motor vehicle with a storage cell assembly in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic top view of the floor assembly of the body of the motor vehicle with the storage cell assembly in accordance with the exemplary embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] A detailed description of one exemplary embodiment of the invention with reference to the figures follows.

[0037] As shown in the sectional view of FIG. 1, a body of a motor vehicle with an electric drive has a floor assembly 1. A drive battery (not shown) which forms a storage cell assembly is accommodated or integrated in the floor assembly 1 between a lower floor 5 and an upper floor 7, between a left-hand side sill 9 and a right-hand side sill 11, and between crossmembers 13 and 15, which are shown in FIG. 2. Furthermore, a honeycomb structure 3 which forms a multiple-chamber hollow-cylindrical structure is arranged in the floor assembly 1, that is to say in a chamber which is formed by way of the floor assembly 1. The upper floor 7 is connected in an integrally joined manner to the side sills 9, 11 and the crossmembers 13 and 15, and therefore forms a constituent part of the vehicle body shell. The lower floor 5 is an assembly part, and is connected releasably, for example by means of screws, to the side sills 9, 11 and the crossmembers 13, 15. The honeycomb structure 3 is configured in the vehicle vertical direction, that is to say the individual honeycomb chambers 31, 32, 33 extend in the vehicle vertical direction.

[0038] The diagrammatic top view of FIG. 2 shows the floor assembly 1 from above, the upper floor 7 having been omitted. The side sills 9 and 11 and the crossmembers 13 and 15, which extend between the side sills 9 and 11, are shown. The honeycomb structure 3, which has a multiplicity of honeycomb chambers 31, 32, 33, can be seen between the side sills 9 and 11 and the crossmembers 13 and 15.

[0039] The honeycomb structure 3 is connected by way of its lower end side in an integrally joined manner to the upper side of the lower floor 5. Therefore, the honeycomb structure 3 and the lower floor 5 form a very stable structure in a similar manner to a sandwich structure.

[0040] For example, seven circular battery cells, that is to say storage cells, are accommodated so as to stand upright next to one another in each honeycomb chamber 31, 32, 33. More or fewer battery cells can also be received therein. The battery cells are not shown in the figures.

[0041] The honeycomb structure 3 is produced by means of extrusion from aluminum. The lower floor 5 is advantageously likewise produced from aluminum. The side sills 9 and 11 and the upper floor 7, and the entire vehicle body, are produced from steel, but can likewise be produced from aluminum in the case of a vehicle body made from aluminum.

[0042] As is shown in FIG. 1 by way of example at one point, the lower floor 5 and the upper floor 7 might be connected directly to one another via one or more spacer elements 17 and an associated screw connection 19. The spacer element 17 is an element which corresponds to the spacing between the lower floor 5 and the upper floor 7. Via a screw connection 19, the lower floor 5 and the upper floor 7 are braced to one another in the region of the spacer element 17. The spacer element 17 is configured, for example, as a sleeve with a through hole in the vertical direction, through which a screw of the screw connection 19 is guided. The bracing of the lower floor 5 and the upper floor 7 gives the floor assembly 1 even greater stability and is advantageous in the case of collisions from below, for example in the case of driving over objects and ground unevennesses.

[0043] The floor assembly 1, with the lower floor 5, the upper floor 7, the side sills 9 and 11 and the crossmembers 13 and 15, forms a fluid-tight enclosure of the drive battery with the battery cells and further components of the drive battery such as cooling apparatuses, current and control lines, and a control device. As a result, the drive battery is protected against environmental influences. As a result, furthermore, a discharge of battery contents into the surroundings and the passenger compartment is also prevented.

[0044] An intermediate space is provided between the honeycomb structure 3 and the upper floor 7, in which intermediate space, for example, the cooling apparatuses, the current and control lines and the control device are accommodated.

[0045] By way of dismantling of the lower floor 5, the drive battery can be removed from the floor assembly.

[0046] In the case of a lateral collision of the motor vehicle, a load path runs via the relevant side sill 9, 11 through the upper floor 7 and the lower floor 5 with the honeycomb structure 3. Here, the honeycomb structure 3 increases the rigidity of the floor assembly 1 in the region of the drive battery and in the process can replace an additional carrier structure in the interior of the drive battery with a simultaneous increase in the available space for battery cells. With identical collision strength, the motor vehicle can accommodate more battery cells and can therefore achieve a greater energy storage capacity. Every piece of installation space which is present in the floor assembly of the motor vehicle can likewise be utilized in this way for the accommodation of battery cells. Overall, an electric range of the motor vehicle can be increased with an identical collision strength.